San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-10-01
OLD coMANcHE LOOKOUT
Not as Bald as II Might Be-A Lordly
Height and a Lovely Sight
The Boss Elevation of
BexaT County.

Not as Bald as II Might Be-A Lordly
Height and a Lovely Sight
The Boss Elevation of
Bexar County.
The news which spread through this
city on Thursday morning-that the
West End syndicate had strnck oil In
boring for water on the east end OF their
property-stirred all San Antonio. Ru-
mora of all sorts were rife. Being IN
terviewed, the West End company said
that they knew nothing about it, be-
yond what they had read In the papers.
| A LIGHT representative was detailed to
make trip, examine and report. lie
found the location, just within the city
limits, and modern boring outfit OF the
lightning jerking order in operation.
The presiding genius Of the digger"
was tall, grizzIed, taoiturn man, the
very embodiment of business and
boring. Between jerks the information
was ELECTED that in boring for water the
drills struck heavy blue clay at dis
lance of 20 feet. That this clay was
strongly impregnated with petroleum
went without saying, for you could
smell rods away. Through this clay
stratum, closely resembling dark blue
slate stone, the drills had penetrated
about 70 feet without any change In the
character OF the deposit. This deposit
is identical with that found in the OPP
| Ea farther ont
on the Leon, and which, after analysis
by Pittsburg oil experts, has been pro-
nounoed superior to any surface clay
found in the Pennsylvania Oil fields.
The experts are authority for the state
ment-there is no doubt OF oil existing In
| paying quantities where these surface
indications are found, If only boring Is
continued to sufficient depth. What
that depth is, is Of course
mere matter Of conjecture, aud
will probably remain unsolved by
the West End company, as they are
boring for artesian water and will dis
continue operations 80 soon as pure
flow is reached. The consequences to
| West Texas of striking Oil In paying
| quantities, in this city, need not now be
| dwelt upon. This much seems sure
| There is a vast deposit of petroleum I'M
| DERIVING the west half Of Bexar county,
and il is only question Of time when il
will be reached and utilized.
CINCINNATI AVENUE.
Leaving this miniature hell hole
worming it's way through the inwards OF
old mother earth at the rate Of foot
every three or four minutes, a turn was
taken through Cincinnati Avenue to an
other well just started on the extreme
| west end of the Syndicate grounds.
Driving into the wide avenue stretching
| like broad band of green up the gently
| sloping height a distance Ofthree miles
| away, rs the crow flies, due west, the
| magnificent vista OF this property was
opened up. The grubbing force of nearly
half a hundred which had cleared the
| avenue like a lawn, was busy opening
up the cross and side streets. The two
surveying corps were laying matters TO
the line and level. The stakes at the in
tersectiOn marked out the locations OF
| coming streets and the standing trees
In all other places plainly Indicated
| that no ruthless hand was to destroy
" nov no OOOi ~ 10Y
| of OrnamentatiOn and shade. The only
undesirable section OF the whole 1000
acre tract is in the depression through
| which the AlaZan creek worms its way
across the grounds. By happy inspira-
| ton this depression has been taken adj
vantage Of to form a sheet OF water al
| most IN the center oftbe grounds around
which the walks and drives of the
avenue shall sweep in graceful curves,
| and fronting which will be some OF the
most desirable residence property on
| the entire tract. This lake covering
some % acres will be In plain view from
every portion of the park and is destined
to form one of its greatest attractions.
| The view from the extreme west end.
looking down the three miles and half
| of the avenue was beautiful in
the extreme, and it required but
small stretch OF the imag-
| ignatiOn to bridge the months and dot
| the park with ornate dwellings and peo-
| pie the walks and drives with the thou
sands who shall flock to these lovely up
| lands for the fresh air which blows eter-
nal through its life giving reaches.
OLD GREEN TOP.
Just across the Bandera road to the
north OF the syndicate grounds lie the
ranches of Judge FlOrea and Gen. Russ,
with their green slopes fronting the ris
ing sun. The LIGHT representative seek
ing some information concerning Co
manche hill, Of which he had heard
much as the highest point of ground in
BeXar county, whose green heights he
had often looked longiDgly upon from
| the dusty streets OF the city, but whose
rugged sides he had never climbed made
| application for such information to
Judge Florea. Under the safe conduct
| of his honor, who himself became guide
to the sylvan solitudes, delightful two
hours was spent. Such hours as lift
| men above themselves, nearer the eter-
nal heights on whose clear atmosphere
the little things of earth and self seem
dwarfed.
Comanche hill lies in the northeast
corner OF what may be designated as
COmaEOhe tract. A block Of some 600
acres Of meadow and grazing and farm
ing lands, every acre II which, despite
its rugged appearance from distance, is
| tillable land, through every rod of which
| pillow could be easier run than over
| thousands OF acres Of the most prOduC-
tive farming lands of Ohio and PennsyI-
v8nia. Instead of climbing up some
rugged, stony ateep, as he had imag-
ined, the LIGHT representative found the
approach so gradual, the rise so gently
ascending, the gradient so low that he
had neared the very crest before he was
aware, and found TO HIS astonisment not
ledge of rock on the hillside. The
judge with malice prepens had beguiled
the minutes with pleasant talk, and the
| gnana that hnr9t unOD the vision from